


Sparked by the Light

by Ennarcia



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen, Why Aaravos likes humans the fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-09
Updated: 2019-04-09
Packaged: 2020-01-07 07:58:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18406439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ennarcia/pseuds/Ennarcia
Summary: During an important Startouch ritual, a young Aaravos and his friends sneak off and get lost.





	Sparked by the Light

     As midnight struck, a baby's first cries rang thru the Star Nexus. The stars in the sky glittered brightly, as if to greet him, and in an inky black patch of sky, a new one appeared. Traveling long and far for them to meet, whispering its name like a blessing into the new parents' ears. "Your name is Aaravos," they said, "our precious midnight star."

 

Raised with love and care, Aaravos took to magic like a duck to water. At 7-years-old, it was clear their leader's vision had been correct, and he was a prodigy. That didn't mean he could skip their traditional rituals, however, and during a hot summer night, he and two others his age were taken away from the nexus they called home. The children were dressed in simple white robes that were easy to remove, and walked half way down the mountain to a small clearing. In this clearing was an even smaller pond, reflecting the stars above. One of the adults pointed to the pond and said, "you must bathe here, under the starlight. When morning comes, we will return to the nexus." Once the children had stripped out of their robes and waddled into the pond, the adults left. "We will not be far," they had said.

 

It didn't take long for the children to grow bored. "Who wants to take a bath all night?" Polaris whined as she helped Alkaid wash his hair. He was the only one who seemed to be enjoying this trip, but his eyes being perpetually closed always made him look more relaxed than he was.

 

Aaravos scrubbed his right arm for the 15th time, letting out a defeated sigh. "We can't get cleaner than this..."

 

"At least it is not winter." Alkaid piped, prompted by Polaris' hands stopping their motions to rest on his head. Just because he couldn't _see_ the wheels turning in her head, didn't mean he couldn't feel it.

 

"Hey, Aaravos," the young boy perked up at his name, "grab our robes over there." He turned to look at their discarded clothes, haphazardly resting on a flat rock, and started wading thru the water.

 

\---

 

     "We're going to get in trouble." Alkaid sighed, keeping still as the other two children fixed his robes.

 

"No we won't." Aaravos assured him. "The adults are praying, and won't come to bother us until morning. So long as we come back by then, it will be fine. This will be fun, you'll see." Aaravos said, flinching as Alkaid turned toward the sound of his voice.

 

"I'm very sure I won't."

 

Joining hands together and forming into a line, the children left the clearing behind.

 

\---

 

     "Um... The clearing was... um..." Aaravos and Polaris were panicking, and Alkaid was sighing because he knew this would happen. They'd gotten lost almost instantly, and being too young to properly ask the stars for guidance, they had stayed lost. Calling for the adults was out of the question, of course, and so they kept wandering around, just hoping they would find their way back. 

 

"Maybe we'll get eaten by something and won't have to face our parents." Aaravos suggested hopefully.

 

Polaris was on the verge of tears. "I'm supposed to be the leader! I'm supposed to know where we need to go!" Blessed with frequent and vivid visions, marking her as a future candidate for leadership, nothing was coming to her now.

 

The children huddled together in the forest, trying to figure out their next move. It was Aaravos who found it. "Look, over there!" Polaris looked to where he pointed while Alkaid let out a huff. A small light shown brightly, further into the forest. It was a town full of humans, dancing and singing around a fire. Aaravos was entranced instantly. "Let's go!" The children got their second wind, and wandered down into the festivities.

 

\---

 

     At first there were gasps, and the festival seemed to grind to a halt. " _Startouch elves,_ " was the whisper that made its way thru the startled crowd. The trio of children were silent as they made their way thru the parting crowd and toward the raging fire. Fires this big were never made at the Star Nexus, and it was entirely new to them.

 

Alkaid was more interested in sniffing the air. "I smell fruit." He said, and at the mention of food, the trio's stomachs started to grumble in unison, like some kind of convenient plot device. It _had_ been a while since they'd eaten. The other humans eyed the woman who came forward and offered them some.

 

"This is tasty!" Aaravos exclaimed, and whatever fear the villagers had of the children seemed to leave them, the festivities beginning anew. The children danced, sang, and eagerly listened to the humans' stories, Aaravos most of all.

 

The happiness couldn't last forever. As morning came, so did the adults who had found them missing. Angry and disappointed, they thanked the humans for looking after the trio before leading the children away. Aaravos tried to spare a final glance toward the village, but saw something else entirely. A little girl, fleeing from flames, the cry of a dragon behind her. Letting out a gasp and blinking, the sight was gone, back to the peaceful village he had partied the night away in. A worried adult picked him up to carry him, unaware of the stars whispering in his ears. It would be over a thousand years before Aaravos heard the name Elarion again.


End file.
